The pope says you don't need to put that donkey in your Nativity scene

If, between last December and this one, you misplaced the porcelain donkeys that sit in your tabletop Nativity scene, don't worry about it. According to Pope Benedict XVI, there weren't any animals present at the birth of Jesus (not even a "Love Actually"-style lobster). "There is no mention of animals in the Gospels," he writes in his new book, "Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives." The book is Benedict's third installment of Jesus' life, covering the period from his apparently donkey- and sheep-free birth through age 12. Benedict also takes on several other Christmas misconceptions, including the actual date of the holiday and whether the angels actually sang that carol-worthy "Hark!" [Source]

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